The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-03-16

money in their pockets Breitung was then
eighteen years of age. They had a letter ~
Governor Ransom, who was then the c1ief
executive of Michigan aud resided at Kala-
mazoo, and they resolved to see him. Arriv-
ing at that village and undergoing some
unpleasant experiences, they soon found
some German friends and, through Governor
Ransom, found excellent homes near Rich
mond, on Gull Prairie, Kalamazoo county, in
the families of Mr.. Nevins aud his son in-law,
Mr.. Chas. Jones.
Here they remained during the winter,
Breitung at Nevins' and Ihlng at Jones,
attending school taught by Mr.. Spencer.
who was subsequently lawyer and practiced
in this county. The lads acquired the Ian
guage rapidly and. in the course of few
months. had no difficulty i'm making them
selves understood. Acquiring the language
at school and mingling with the young peo-
Pile at social gatherings, to which they we're
freely invited, the young men passed pleas
ant and happy winter.
In the spring they started out 10 seek
their fortunes. Neither OF them had ever
engaged iii manual labor but they deter
mined TO seek employment on the railroad
and began work 10y the day east of Kalama-
200, assisting in tearing up the old strap
rail, with which the track OF the Michigan
Central was originally laid. and substituting
'i'' rail in its place. Finishing this rather
laborious and Improbable work, they OBJ
tanned Job of wood-sawIng for the railroad
company, first at Kalamazoo and then at
Lawton where. at that time. the company
purchased large quantity of wood. John
Smolk. who was then the railroad agent at
Lawton, took an interest in the young men
and suggested To them that, az there was
large quantity of wood to cut, they might
hire men to do the work and he would allow
them 10 boss the job. thus making it easier
for them. They continued TO work at the
wood business and other similar employments
about the railroad station at Lawton for the
first year, when Breitung got tired of it, say
ing be- wasn't "cut out for railroad man,
anyway He found a situation as clerk in
the store of T. Friedman in kalamazoo,
while his friend became clerk III the railroad
Office at La Eton.
Breitung remained in Kalamazoo with
Friedman and afterwards with H.. Stern a
| Co. for two years. when he went to Detroit.
| into the wholesale house Of David Amburg *
CO., where he remained until 1856. when his
employers sent him to Lake Superior with a
stock of goods TO sell on commission. He
| realized SO well out of this venture that he
returned to Detroit and secured stock in
| his own name, obtained largely of Hon.
Zachariah Chandler. TO whom he was always
grateful for this timely aid. With this stock
| Mr. Breitung, in 1857, began trade in Mar
quette, since which time the Upper Peninsula
has always been his home.
While in Detroit, Breitung had laid up
some money and this fund, with like amounts
furnished by Ihling and Horace Sebring. he
invested i'll building the first hotel in Law
ton. which they sold TO Armstrong. realizing
a handsome profit After settling at Mar
quette, Breitung urged Ihling and Sebring
| to join him, which they at first proposed to
do: but the former being made railroad
agent at Lawton and the latter having found
good opening at Mattawan, they concluded
not to relinquish certainties for uncertainties.
Breitung soon disposed of his goods and be
came interested in mineral lands and gradu-
ally developed the interests which formed
the basis sf his great wealth
He ever kept his sympathy with the labor
| ing man. No man In the mining region
had stronger hold on the laboring people
than he. This fact is shown by the unprece
denied majority of 5000 votes. which he
received when running for congress- four
years ago. No resident of the Lake Superior
region had more friends or will be muie
regretted than Edward Breitung.